Please Leave All Overcoats, Canes, and Top Hats with the Doorman
by MissingMommy
Summary: Ginny convinces Charlie to go on a blind date. He only agrees so his mum would stop worrying. :: CharlieDraco, Muggle!AU.


When he throws the car into park, he hurries around to the passenger side and sweeps his sister up. Once he's sure he has her in a safe hold, he kicks the car door shut and heads inside.

"Charlie, please put me down; it's just a sprained ankle," Ginny says huffily.

He gives her a grin, bright and easy, as he shifts her minutely. "The doctor said to stay off it as much as possible. Who am I to deny such orders?"

She rolls her eyes. "You just want to show off your muscles!"

"What's the point of keeping in shape if not to show them off?" Charlie counters. He isn't vain by any means, but being a firefighter keeps him in excellent shape.

"To actually be able to do your job," Ginny says. "Are you staying for a while?"

"I figured that I'd wait until Harry gets here," he answers. He stands in front of the front door for a minute or two before he asks, "You gonna unlock the door?"

"I figured holding me would be your exercise for the day," she says, grinning. After digging in her purse for a moment, she pulls out her keys and sets to unlock it. It's an awkward position from Charlie's bridal hold. "Why don't you just stay for dinner?" she asks.

He sets her down on the couch and gives her a frown. "Why does it feel like you're plotting something?"

She gives him another roll of her eyes, choosing not to answer.

He studies her for a long moment, his eyes flickering across her face to determine if the offer is a trap, before he sighs, wagging his finger at her. "Fine. But don't think I'm going to agree to whatever you're planning."

"Would you mind making dinner?" she asks sweetly, and when Charlie raises his eyebrow at her, she gives him a victorious smile. "Doctor said to keep off my foot as much as possible."

He gives her a hardy laugh, unable to deny that argument. "You're lucky I love you," he declares as he goes to poke around in the kitchen.

Ginny's laugh follows him.

* * *

"So," she starts as they sit down to eat, "I have been -"

A sense of foreboding settles in Charlie's stomach at her tone. "Whatever it is, no _._ "

"Come on, Char, you don't even know what I was going to say," she argues, glancing at her boyfriend for support.

Realization hits him, hard. "You want to set me up _again_. I told you _I'm fine_ ," he says, stressing the last two words. He turns his attention to the raven haired man who has been quiet. "Did Ginny drag you into this?"

Harry holds his hands up in mock surrender. His lips twitch as he tries to fight a grin. "Do you really think I had a choice?"

Charlie huffs out a laugh. He makes an agreeing motion and turns his attention back to his sister. He opens his mouth to protest when she starts pleading her case.

"Mum is worried. Ron just got engaged, Bill just had his second kid, Percy's trying for a baby, and George's wedding is close. She can't bear the thought that you're lonely," she says softly.

Charlie drags his hand through his cropped hair, wishing for his longer locks, but he had to sacrifice his preferred length for his job. "I've told her I'm fine. Honestly, I'm good."

"Why don't you just entertain your mum?" Harry inquires, pushing around the food on his plate. "If nothing else, it'll make your mum happy."

"I thought you were on my side," Charlie says in mock scandalization.

The other man shrugs. "I've learned it's best to let your mum have her way. Saves a lot of headache on your part."

"Fine," he says, annoyed. "One date, Ginny. _One_ , and only to make Mum happy."

Ginny gives him a cheshire grin, and it immediately makes him regret his decision. "Great. I'll set it up and let you know."

* * *

Three days later, Charlie's phone pings while he's doing his share of the chores at the Firehouse. He digs it out of his pocket and flips it up. Ginny's texted him a time, location, and a date, reminding him not to be late.

He groans, reminding himself that he's doing this for his mum. It does little to calm the unease he feels.

He doesn't have time to worry about it further as the fire bell rings. He joins his team in suiting up and riding out, the blind date the furthest thing from his mind.

* * *

Charlie smooths down his hair and takes a deep breath before he gets out of his car. There is a line of people outside the door. He feels awkward as he bypasses the people. His sister texted him this morning, reminding him of the reservation and time.

When he reached the hostess, he gives his name and is immediately escorted further in. The turquoise and pink decor make him feel woozy. He thinks his sister couldn't have picked a more sickeningly sweet restaurant than Madam Puddifoot's.

The hostess gestures to the table with one hand, offering Charlie a fake smile as she returns to the front. He feels his heart stutter as he looks at his date for the first time. He's dressed sharply in a dark three piece suit with a silver tie; all that's missing is a cane and an overcoat to complete the look. He thinks his sister totally nailed his type - tall, blond, with an undeniable air of confidence.

But then the other man groans. "I thought this day couldn't get any worse."

Charlie studies him for a moment, trying to decide whether or not to leave. He could easily tell his mum and sister that this date was a nightmare from the start, but there's something in the way the blond looks at him, expecting him to leave. He decides then to surprise the other man by pulling out the chair to sit. The other man's eyebrows furrow and he opens and closes his mouth around some silent words.

"Not who you were expecting?"

"Do you know who I am?" he asks haughtily.

Charlie snorts as he shakes his head. "Don't really pay attention to much besides work and family."

The other man scrubs his hand across his face, saying something under his breath, before meeting Charlie's eyes. "Did you vote in the last elections?"

"Nope. I was battling a fire most of Election Day," he answers honestly. "After, I slept for eight hours."

The waiter comes by to take their orders, but the blond waves him away.

"Did you follow the election _at all_?" he asks.

Charlie shrugs. "Why would I? They're all the same - a bunch of liars and cheats. Pretty boring if you ask me."

The other man actually snorts at that. "Are you saying my father is a scoundrel?"

"If he's a politician, then yes," he confirms.

The next reply is interrupted by a waiter bringing out an appetizer. It's been so long since lunch that Charlie doesn't bother waiting to dig into the food.

"He is." When Charlie looks confused, bread halfway to his mouth, he clarifies, "A politician, that is. He has a seat in the House of Lords. For the Tory party."

"Oh."

Charlie may live under a rock most of the time, but he knows what the Tory party stands for, and it's definitely not gay men.

"Can you imagine the scandal if people realize that his son is here," he says gesturing to the sickening decorations, "on Valentine's day with another man?"

Charlie's eyebrows furrow. "It's Valentine's day?"

The blond laughs, and Charlie immediately wants to hear it again. "Where have you been not to notice?"

"Didn't I mention I'm a firefighter? I work a 24 hours on, 48 off schedule. No need to have a calendar, really. To be honest, the only reason I remember this was tonight was because my sister texted me," he admits sheepishly. "But the better question is why are you still here if this is going to be an issue?"

The blond's eyes flicker up and down Charlie's frame; his button down fits snugly around his triceps, and his sleeves are rolled up, showing off his tanned skin. He meets Charlie's eyes as he smirks. "You're easy on the eyes."

He blushes with the compliment. Maybe they could be something if there was a redo button. He think this might be worth it, so he says, "Then how about we restart the date? I'm Charlie Weasley."

"Draco Malfoy," the other man replies immediately. He seems pleased with the chance to start over.

Charlie grins at him, "How about we order then get to the 'get to know each other' portion of this date?"

They flip through the menus, and flag down a waiter to order. The conversation between them, as they wait for food, is easy and enjoyable. Charlie lights up with happiness when he talks about his family and his fellow firefighters who are like family.

The waiter brings out their food and wine as Draco is morosely explaining how everyone assumed the twenty-four year old would follow his father into politics since he could inherit the seat. He doesn't look pleased when he talks about getting his foot in the door of politics and how his father is pressing him to run for the next election as a Tory.

"Being on a date with another man isn't going to look good when you run," Charlie says pointedly.

He watches as Draco freezes. It's a little unnerving how still the blond gets. Finally, Draco frowns, leveling his eyes at Charlie.

"No, it isn't," he says, bring his glass up to take a sip of wine.

"Then why did you stay?"

It takes the blond a few moments to respond, but when he does, his voice is even and steady. "You didn't immediately leave. Every person Astoria has tried to set me up with has left as soon as they realized who I was. It was….refreshing that you didn't."

Charlie offers him a wide, toothy smile. "I guess that's enough of a reason." Then he somers, asking, "But what about your campaign?"

"There's a reason I hired Astoria. She's the best at public relations; it's her job to figure it out. It's also her fault for realizing that I wasn't just interested in women," Draco says casually, grinning. "She can clean up the mess she made."

Charlie's laugh is interrupted by the waiter bringing the cheque. Draco immediately grabs for it, and slips a card to the waiter without checking the price. He digs into his pocket for the money he had to cover his portion, but the blond waves it away.

"You can cover our next date," Draco tells him. Charlie can tell the exact moment the blond realizes what he's said. He tries to backtrack by saying, "If there is a next date."

Charlie pulls out his phone and offers it to him. "Put your number in and text yourself. I have tomorrow off, but then I work the next day."

"24 on, 48 off," Draco repeats as he punches in his number. The redhead can't help but grin, knowing that the other man was paying attention.

The waiter brings back Draco's card, and they both stand up to leave.

Charlie walks Draco to his car. He gestures behind him. "I'm that way."

The blond looks like he doesn't know what to do. Charlie snorts and leans up and presses a chaste kiss to Draco's lips.

"Let me know when, and I'll be there," he says. "I would say I would keep an eye on the calendar for the next weekend I'm off, but my family's been trying to get me to pay attention since I first started at the Firehouse."

Draco snorts, but leans down to kiss Charlie once more. He smirks when he pulls away. "I'm sure I can figure something out."

He walks back to his own car in a daze. Even if the date started off on the wrong foot, he's glad that he stayed. He just hates the fact that he's going to have to tell Ginny and Harry they were right.

* * *

OTP bootcamp: chastity (I used this more as chaste)

OTP challenge: (dialogue) "Please put me down it's just a sprained ankle"  
(color) Turquoise  
(song) "Sidekick" by Walk the Moon [don't you wonder why  
The things that you want are so hard to find?  
Well it just occurred to me  
The one that I need could be right here by my side]  
(setting) Madam Puddifoot's  
(AU) Blind Date

Book club: Sam Temple - (word) light, (au) firefighter, (character) Harry Potter

Showtime: Finale - (dialogue) "That's enough."

Buttons: phone, "this day couldn't get any worse.", money

365: Event - First Meet

Insane: Location - Madam Puddifoot's

Resolutions: write 50 stories, write an AU that you've never written before, write a meet-cute (or a meet-ugly)

Stickers: Grey Lady - Write about someone living in their parent's shadow

Dragons: word count 2042

Thanks to both Laura and Lizzy who beta'd, and Amber who helped me when I got stuck.


End file.
